The life of a hunter
by YoungWolf21
Summary: Dean Winchester hasn't had an easy life to say the least. At four years old he witnessed his mother pinned to the ceiling of his baby brother's nursery and engulfed by flames. John, his father became distance and vengeful towards the creature that killed his wife and left little room in his life for anything other than hunting it down. Thrown into the life of a hunter a very early
1. Chapter 1

It was an eerily quiet night, the house was thick with silence as Mary and John put their youngest son to bed while Dean waited patiently for his bedtime story.

"Good night Sammy" They said, kissing the infant's forehead and placing him safely in his large white crib.

The click of the light switch told Dean they would be in his room in a moment, he loved his new brother but he hated all the attention he got sometimes.

"Hey sweetie, get your pj's on and daddy will read you a story okay?" Mary purred sweetly.

"Okay Mom" Dean grinned, happy to have his parents to himself for just a few minutes a day.

Dean rushed the pull his He Man pj's out of his small white dresser and get changed, eager to hear whatever story his dad had picked out for them that night.

"Are you ready son?" John called gently from the hallway.

"Ready!" Dean chirped back, quickly climbing into bed.

John slowly creaked the door open and peeked inside to see if Dean was under his covers yet before stepping in, book in hand.

"How about we read Peter Pan tonight?" John asked his young, excited son as he sat down beside him on the bed.

"I love that story" Dean agreed happily and snuggled in closer.

Dean sat in quiet awe for the next hour as his dad read him the story of Peter Pan, Wendy and the Lost boys. He carefully did the individual voices of all the characters and made sure he showed Dean every picture, even though that meant stopping every couple of sentences.

Dean looked forward to story time all day long, it was the only one on one time he had with his dad and he loved every second of it.

"Okay bud, it's time to get some shut eye" John whispered, mussing up Dean's hair as he stiffly climbed off the bed.

"Night Dad" Dean smiled, already half asleep as John made his was out his bedroom.

What felt like second later Dean was jolted awake but a blood curdling scream.

Mom!

Dean slid of bed and ran as fast as he could down the hall to Sammy's nursery, following the screams to their source.

For some reason Dean couldn't understand, his mother was pinned to the ceiling of the nursery. Frozen in fear he watched as she stared down on him, her eyes wide set in terror and was abruptly engulfed in flames.

"Dean! Take Sammy and get outside! NOW!" John growled, shoving the crying infant into his arms and shoving him out of the room.

Without hesitation Dean followed the instructions and ran, little brother screaming and squirming in his arms outside. He stared helplessly as the second floor of their home was quickly swallowed my the flames, licking at the inside of the windows.

The tears welled in his eye as he stared at the door, anxiously waiting for his dad to come out of the burning house.

A long moment later, John emerged from the flame filled house and stumbled out onto to lawn in front of them.

"Dean, are you okay?" He asked, his voice gruff and strained as he coughed the smoke out of his lungs.

"Yes" He muttered before realizing he was sobbing.

"Come here son, it's going to be okay.. I promise" John assured him, crawling closer and pulling both his sons into a hug, holding them tightly.

"Wha- What about mom?" Dean sniffled.

"I-I'm sorry son, mom.. mom's gone" He told him as softly as he could, tears streaming down his face.

"We need to go Dean" John said finally, running his thumb over Dean's cheeks to wipe away the tears before taking Sam out of his arms.

Dean took a deep, steadying breath, pulled himself to his feet and followed his father to the large black Impala that was parked in the driveway.

John loaded Sam into the car seat, carefully buckling him in place and double checking all the straps before getting settled into the front seat.

Dean sat perfectly still as his dad wrapped him in his large, well worn leather jacket around him like a blanket and buckled him in.

John tugged on the seat belt once more before walking around to the other side of the car and sliding in behind the steering wheel.

As the engine purred to life so did the cassette player, filling the car with the familiar opening to Kansas' Carry On My Wayward Son. The song was some how soothing, bringing a wave a peace over everyone listened, including Sammy who had finally stopped crying and fallen back to sleep.

Dean didn't cry again after that night, he couldn't he had to take care of Sammy, he had to be strong. Stronger than any four year old should ever have to be.

John stared out onto the highway, grim determination etched on his face and his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel as tightly as he could while he drove.

"Where are we going?" Dean asked after hours of music filled silence.

"We're going to go see Bobby Singer" He replied, his eyes never leaving the road.

"Okay" Dean replied, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.

"Get some rest son, we're going to have a long day tomorrow" He told him softly, turning the music down slightly.

Dean nodded and closed his heavy eyes but he see wouldn't find him. A few hours later the sun started coming up and Sammy woke up for a feeding and a clean diaper.

"Shh, it's okay Sammy we'll get you some food" John assured the fussing infant.

"Dean could you please climb back there and try to calm him down?" John asked gently.

"Sure dad" Dean replied, rubbing his tired eyes before crawling into the back seat.

"Come on Sammy, please don't cry we'll feed you soon" Dean cooed for a moment before spotting the spare diaper bag on the floor.

Opening the bag he found several fresh diapers, a small plastic container full of baby cereal, a box of wipes, some powder and one plastic bottle full of dry formula.

"Dad, there's a baby bag back here" Dean informed him, pawing through it.

"Great, any diapers?" He asked, his eyes leaving the road and glancing into the rear view mirror.

"Yes" He replied, holding them up for him to see.

"Wipes too" He added a moment later.

"Do you think you could change him? might calm him down for a while" He asked, unsure.

"Okay" Dean agreed, crawling onto the floor in front of Sammy and getting him unbuckled.

Dean carefully lifted his brother out of the car seat and placed him carefully on the bench next to it before going to work on getting his onesie unsnapped and his diaper off.

Before long he was clean, powdered, had a fresh diaper on and was ready to go back in his car seat.

"There you go Sammy" Dean yawned as he buckled him back into his seat and cleaned everything up.

"Thank you Dean" John whispered from the front seat.

"You're welcome" He replied before getting settled next to his brother.

A few long hours later they drove into the parking lot of a small grocery store, stopping for first time all night.

"I have to go and pick some things up, you stay here and keep an eye on Sam Okay?" John told him quickly before stepping out of the car and heading into the store.

Sam babbled happily, blissfully unaware of what happened the night before and tugged on a fist full of Dean's hair.

"Ouch, knock it off Sammy" Dean growled, untangling his tiny fist from his hair.

Sam giggled as Dean scowled at him as he reached for his hair again.

Dean moved out of his reach, sliding his back against the door and pulling his knees up under the leather jacket that was still draped around him.

A few minutes later John was back at the car with several grocery bags in his hand.

"Can you put these back there please" John asked as he handed Dean the bags, one at a time except for one that he kept up front with him.

Dean peeked into the bags to see what his dad bought, diapers, wipes, a large tin with a smiling baby on the front, several tins of tuna, spam, a few kinds of soup, some bananas, a small bag of apples, a loaf of bread and a few packages of bologna.

"Pass me that bottle" John instructed as he leaned forward and pulling something out of the bag next to him.

Dean did as he asked and pulled the bottle from the diaper bag and dropped it over the back of the seat for him.

John expertly took the lid off the bottle and held it between his knees as he unscrewed the lid on the water and carefully poured it onto the waiting formula.

"I need you to feed your brother for me" John instructed while he shook the bottle with one hand to mix it.

"Okay" Dean replied and reached out for it.

"Thanks kiddo" He said, exhaustion clear in his voice.

Dean placed the bottle in Sams eager mouth and held in place while he sucked it dry, watching the town fade behind them.

Not long after Sam finished eating, they pulled into a long drive way with a metal arch at the end. It had large letters in it but Dean didn't know what they said.

As they pulled in he stared at the all broken down vehicles and mountains of twisted up, rusted metal that seemed to cover everything except the small house that sat behind it all.

"We're here" John commented.

Bobby Singer was a gentle man, he could be loud and he was a little rough around the edges sometimes but Dean always enjoyed spending time with him.

"John? What are you doing here" Bobby called from the porch.

"Stay in the car for a minute" John instructed as he climbed out and met Bobby half way.

Dean watched as they had a conversation he couldn't hear, a moment later Bobby pulled John into a hug and after pulling away left his hand on his shoulder for a few seconds, comforting him in some way.

They both walked back to the car and opened the door.

"Hey kiddo! You've gotten huge!" Bobby gushed, helping Dean out of the back seat.

"Hi Bobby" Dean replied, he couldn't help but smile at him, the man was like a human teddy bear.

"This must be Sammy" Bobby smiled and playfully poked his nose with a long, grease stained finger.

"Mhm" Dean nodded.

"Well don't just stand there, lets get everyone inside" Bobby grinned.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

Dean spent a lot of time at Bobby's Salvage Yard after that night, it was the one place John knew they would be safe if he needed to go on a particularly dangerous hunt.

Bobby was the one that baked the cake for Sam's first birthday, it was burnt but he put the frosting so thick you could barely taste it. Sam giggled as he slammed his hands into the cake and licked the frosting off his fingers, John wasn't there to see it but Bobby made sure to take lots of pictures for him.

Shortly after that birthday John and Bobby got into a screaming match over the amount of time he was gone hunting and how often he was away from Dean and his brother, telling him that the boys needed him more than he needed to be chasing demons and getting himself killed.

They didn't see Bobby for a long time after that and Dean quickly became Sam's main care-taker.

John would check them into a motel before a big hunt and leave the boys locked in the room with Sam's diaper bag and as many cans of soup and spaghetti-o's as he could find.

"I have to go Dean, I'll be back as quickly as I can, now do you remember the rules?" He asked, testing his memory.

"Stay in the room, keep the door locked, look after Sammy and if you're not back in a week, use the cellphone and call Bobby" Dean repeated the rules that John had been pounding into his head for the last three years.

"Good, I want you to take this too. You're big enough now to use it" He told him, handing him a large blade in a leather sheath.

"Keep it away from your brother, do you remember what I showed you?" John asked.

Dean gripped the handle firmly and carefully pulled the heavy blade from it's sheath and showed him the few basic moves that John had been teaching him over the last few days.

"Excellent, good job Dean" John grinned, fighting was the one thing Dean did well that he knew made his father proud.

"Thanks" Dean replied, his smile mirroring his fathers.

John quickly kissed Sam on the head and ruffled Dean's hair before leaving the motel to hunt whatever monster was in the area.

Dean found the controller and turned on the small TV at the foot of the bed, that was really all there was to do when his dad went hunting.

Sam would be awake soon, Dean had been working on the finishing touches of his potty training but it was difficult when they were constantly traveling and after many accidents he decided he wasn't ready to sleep in his big boy pants yet.

Dean leaned against the overly large pillows while he watched Elmer Fudd chase Bugs bunny around the cartoon forest, yet again.

"Dean" Sammy muttered.

"Go back to sleep Sam, it's too early" Dean groaned.

"Kay" Sam mumbled softly before putting his head back down.

Once he was sure that Sam had fallen back to sleep, Dean slid off the bed and poured himself a large bowl of marshmallow filled cereal and quickly ate it.

Once Sam was awake, Dean knew he would be faced with a barrage of questions about their dad. Sam was too young to understand the truth yet, so Dean would have to come up with yet another lie to explain why dad wasn't there.

The cartoons droned on as Dean found himself nodding off, taking advantage of his newly found tiredness, he slid down the pillows and closed his eyes determined to get a small amount of sleep.

"Dean" Sam chirped, standing next to his bed.

"H-hey Sammy" Dean mumbled back, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands.

"Where's dad?" He asked, his wide brown eyes filled with curiosity.

Dean never knew how to answer that question but at least Sam was still gullible, he would eagerly believe whatever he told him.

"He.. um.. he went out for a while" Dean mumbled.

"Sloppy answer" He scolded himself.

"Kay" Sam shrugged and crawled on the end of bed with his bear, settling down to watch morning cartoons.

Dean admired the blissful innocence of his little brother, some days he wished he didn't know the truth either.

It was hard sitting in motel room after motel room, staring at the clock and waiting for their father to come back, painfully aware that he might not walk back through the door and knowing the procedure if that was the case.

"Dean" Sam chirped from the end of the bed.

"Yeah, Sammy?" Dean replied, still half asleep.

"Can we eat?" He asked, his eyes never leaving the tv.

"Sure, I'll make us something" Dean groaned, sliding off the bed and heading for the tiny kitchenette.

Opening the cupboards, Dean quickly realized that John hadn't gone shopping before he left and they all they had was a half box of cereal, three cans of spaghetti-o's and little bit of milk to last them the week.

"Well that's just great" Dean thought as he stared into the bare cupboards.

After a moment Dean grabbed a bowl and filled it half up with cereal and poured a small amount of milk over it.

"Here you go Sammy" Dean called out as he walked back to the other side of the room and handed him the bowl.

"Thanks Dean" Sammy grinned, his eyes bright and happy.

"I'm going to brush my teeth" Dean told him, ruffling his hair on the way to the bathroom.

Dean left the door cracked open as he brushed his teeth, making sure he could see Sam in the mirror.

"Don't take your eyes off him" John's voice echoed in his head.

"How long is dad going to be gone this time" He wondered while he ran a warm cloth over his face.

As the cloth went over his eyes there was a loud thump, somewhere behind him.

"Sam!" Dean called out as he turned on his heel to check on him.

Sammy's sobs where all the response he needed to know something had happened.

"What happened Sammy? Are you okay?" Dean questioned as he ran to his side.

"I fell" He sniffed, tears pouring from his wide brown eyes.

"Are you hurt Sammy?" Dean asked, starting to panic slightly.

Sam shifted to examine his now scraped knee, another sob rippling through his trembling lips.

"Shh, it's okay Sammy it's only a scratch" Dean assured him, giving him a hug.

"It hurts" Sammy sniffed, poking at the still damp blood.

"Hang on, I'll fix it for you" Dean told him before quickly grabbing his back-pack and pulling out a band-aid.

"Now, this is a special bandage Sammy, when I put this on your knee it's going to suck all the pain out okay?" Dean explained, pulling the waxed strips off the back.

"Kay" Sammy mumbled.

"Ready?" Dean asked, holding the bandage just above his knee.

"Yes" Sam nodded, watching his brother.

Dean very carefully placed the band-aid over the small scrape, pressing it into place and smoothing it out for him.

"There you go, how do you feel now?" He asked, smiling at his little brother.

"All better!" Sammy giggled, his eyes wide with awe.

"See? I told you it was special" Dean grinned.

Dean had been responsible for his little brother since the day their mom died, taking care of him, watching him grow, teaching him to walk and talk and even potty training was all on him.

Three years of crying, late night feedings and diaper changes so far but he was grateful that Sammy was getting easier to deal with as he got older, he slept through the night now and rarely ever cried unless he hurt himself.

The days crawled by that week, it was July so the room was almost unbearably hot during the day and the air-conditioner broke down after the second day making it nearly impossible to stay put like John ordered.

"I'm hungry" Sam whined.

"I know Sam, I'm cooking right now" Dean assured him.

Dean himself hadn't eaten in nearly two days at this point, it was the only way to keep Sammy fed and he knew that was more important right now. Sam was out of clean clothes, used his last diaper two days ago and was getting crankier by the second and Dean knew if their dad wasn't back in a few hours he would have no choice but to call Bobby.

"Here Sam, come eat" He called, setting a bowl of spaghetti-o's on the small table.

"I want cereal!" Sam complained, staring at his food.

"We don't have any left, Sammy" Dean growled, in no mood for complaints at the moment.

"Just eat what you have in front of you" Dean barked, cutting off whatever Sam was gearing up to say.

Sam pouted at the food for a long moment before finally breaking down and eating it.

Dean left Sam at the table and went to check on the clothes he had hanging over the shower rod drying, out of sheer desperation he washed some of Sammy's clothes with the hotel soap and was hoping for the best.

"Not dry yet" he thought, annoyed at the slow pace they were drying considering how hot the room was.

Walking back to the table he found Sam, covered in tomato sauce and licking his bowl like a puppy.

"What are you doing Sam! You're filthy again" Dean growled, desperately trying not to lose his temper.

Sam just shrugged and continued licking until the bowl was completely clean.

"Come on, you need a bath man" Dean instructed, pointing to the tub.

"March" He demanded as Sam scowled at him.

Dean ran lukewarm water in the tub while Sam stripped off his now, tomato sauce stained clothes.

"Okay, lets make this quick" Dean groaned, lifting Sammy into the water.

Sammy sat perfectly still, arms crossed and scowling throughout the entire bath while Dean carefully washed him down from head to toe, carefully removing all the tomato sauce from his skin and hair.

"Clean?" Sammy asked, anxious to get out of the water.

"Yeah, looks that way" Dean agreed and helped him out before pulling the plug.

Dean took the last of the clean towels, dried Sam off and then fashioned them into a makeshift diaper so he could put him to bed.

"Come on Sammy, bedtime" Dean yawned, guiding his little brother to bed.

"I don't wanna" Sam whimpered.

"Trust me, you need to go to bed" He growled, growing impatient with his little brothers whining.

After another hour of whining and pleading to stay up, just a little longer, Sam finally passed out.

Dean waited a few minutes, to make sure he was really out before pawing through his backpack for the emergency cell phone. It was time to call Bobby.

Walking into the bathroom and mostly closing the door in an attempt to stay quiet, Dean flipped open the small silver phone and punched in Bobby's number.

Ring, Ring, Ring.

"Hello?" A gruff, sleepy sounding voice answered.

"Hey Bobby, it's Dean" He started.

"Dean? What's wrong son" Bobby asked, suddenly sounding more alert.

"I don't know, Dad went out on a Hunt last week and he's not back yet" Dean explained, feeling a little panicked.

"Where are you?" Bobby asked, his voice filled with concern.

"Appleton, in a motel just off the highway" Dean told him.

"Appleton? What the hell is John doing there? that's about eight hours from here, I'll be there in seven. Hold on kid" Bobby barked before quickly hanging up.

Dean snapped the phone shut and dropped it back into his bag before climbing onto the bed and turning on the tv.

Normally he would be packing right now but there's no food to pack, all Sams clothes were drying right now and he only had one outfit, which he was currently wearing.

Dean anxiously watched various cartoons and infomercials as the hours ticked by, desperately hoping their dad would come through the door any second.

Dean woke with a start, unaware that he had fallen asleep in the first place when the door flew open with a bang.

"Dad?" Dean mumbled, still half asleep and trying to make sense of what was happening.

"Dean, go back to sleep" He growled, clearly not in the mood to talk.

Dean was too tired to argue and slipped back into a deep sleep, completely forgetting that he had called Bobby hours earlier to come pick him and Sammy up.

Waking up a few hours later Dean found his father pouring through his journal, seemingly looking for something.

"Dad, what are you doing?" He asked, still a little groggy.

"Nothing you need to worry about, research" He replied, his eyes never leaving the page.

"Dad..Where were you?" Dean asked, feeling brave.

"What do you mean? I was hunting, you know that" John growled, annoyance heavy in his voice.

Before Dean could continue questioning, there was a knock at the door.

"Bobby!" Dean thought, suddenly remembering he called him the night before.

"Dean! Sammy are you alright in there?" He asked in a hushed voice, still knocking on the door.

John quickly pulled the door open and stepped outside.

"What are you doing here?" John asked, still a little stunned.

"What am I doing here? You've been gone for a week John! That's what I'm doing here!" Bobby replied, his voice rough and gravelly.

"Did Dean call you?" He demanded, unphased by his hostile tone.

"He called me last night, scared half to death because his father hadn't been home in a week!" Bobby sneered.

"Damn it, I told him I would be back" John groaned.

Dean couldn't stand it anymore, flinging the door open he stepped outside with Bobby and his father.

"It's been a week dad! I haven't eaten in two, no pardon me three damn days and Sammy has wet through every piece of clothing he owns!" Dean snapped, anger over throwing any bit of control he might have had.

"WHAT?!" Bobby boomed, his eyes wide and filled with a sudden rage.

"What are you talking about kid, I left you plenty of food!" John snapped back.

"No, you didn't! That was at the last motel! You didn't even go shopping before you left this time!" Dean screeched.

John's eyes went soft as the reality of the situation set in.

"Look around you Dad, Sammy is wearing a towel right now! That's how desperate I got" Dean growled, throwing the door open and gesturing to his sleeping brother.

"That's it John, if you can't find the time to take care of your damn kids you sure as hell don't deserve them" Bobby growled, anger and worry melding together.

"Let me take them home with me, they'll be safe with me. I promise you that" Bobby pleaded, his voice suddenly gentle and soft.

"N-No.. I'm sorry this happened and I swear to you I won't let it happen again but I can't let you take them" John cried, shaking his head.

"Okay John but if this happens again.. I won't ask before I take them, they deserve so much better than this" Bobby replied, defeated.

"I know" John mumbled before turning and walking back into the hotel.

"Dean, if it gets anywhere close to this bad again you call me and I'll come get you and Sammy" Bobby assured him, looking him right in the eyes.

"Thanks Bobby" Dean sniffed.

"Come here kid" Bobby said, pulling him into a hug.

"I'm only a phone call away, remember that" Bobby reminded him, hugging him tightly for a moment.

Dean stood very still as Bobby climbed back into his truck and drove away.

"Goodbye Bobby" He thought, suddenly exhausted before making his way back into the room.

John was waiting on the end of Dean's bed, tears in his eyes when he walked back in.

"I'm so sorry, Dean" He cried.

"It's okay dad, it's going to be okay" He reassured him, placing his hand on his trembling shoulder.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Things got better after that night, to an extent.

"Dean, buddy I need to talk to you" John called out.

"Yeah Dad?" Dean replied, walking over to see what he needed.

Sam was just about 5 years old now, a little older than Dean was when their mom died.

"Listen Dean, I have to go on a hunt, something in the area is making kids sick really sick" He explained softly.

"Okay" Dean groaned.

"Sammy's birthday is coming up here and if I'm not back by then, give him this" John instructed, handing him a heavy flat box wrapped in Superman paper.

"Got it, what are you hunting this time? Can I help?" Dean asked, curiosity burning deep inside him.

"Dean.. You're too young" John moaned, unsure about sharing information with him.

"Dad, I read all those books and maps you leave behind when you hunt, you taught me how to shoot when I was 6. I'm old enough to know what you're chasing" Dean argued, tired of being treated like a child.

John shifted uncomfortably on his feet, running his fingers through his unkempt hair and thinking for a long few minutes before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

"You're right, you're basically a hunter in a training and you deserve this information" John started, looking behind Dean at the bed to make sure Sam was still asleep.

"It's called a Shtriga" John told him, searching his young sons face for any signs of fear before continuing.

"A Shtriga? What's that?" Dean asked curiously, pleased that his dad was finally opening up to him.

"It's a type of witch, they feed on lifeforce. They can take it from anyone but they prefer to feed on children" John explained, filling him in the best that he could.

"Okay, how do we kill it?" Dean asked wanting to fully understand the situation.

"Consecrated iron rounds" John replied bluntly.

"So you're going to track this thing down and shoot it?" Dean questioned, wondering why he was so hesitant to tell him all this.

"It's not that simple Dean..There's a catch" He started hesitantly.

"What do you mean a catch? Dad, tell me" Dean demanded sternly.

"The thing is completely invulnerable to everything, unless you catch it eating" John explained.

"So you have to wait until it's killing someone else before you can kill it?" Dean asked, finally understanding.

"Exactly" John replied quickly, surprised at how quickly he put it all together.

"What do you need me to do?" Dean asked, determined to help.

"I need you to keep an extra close eye on your brother, there's a slight chance it could come for him so you need to be careful" John instructed before digging into his duffle bag and pulling out a gun.

"Take this and if that thing does show up, shoot it and then call me immediately" He told him, placing the revolver in his hands.

"Okay, I can do that" Dean nodded, wrapping his fingers around the cold metal of the hand gun.

"I need to go, take care of your brother and don't let him out of your sight" He told him one last time before throwing the bag over his shoulder and leaving the room.

Dean stared at the gun in his hands, this was the first time he left him one.

"Dean?" Sam mumbled sleepily.

"Yeah Sammy?" Dean replied, quickly tucking the gun into the inside pocket of his jacket.

"Is dad gone again?" He asked, rubbing his eyes with his fists.

"He'll be back later, don't worry" Dean reassured him with a small smile.

"Okay" he nodded.

"Get dressed, I'll make breakfast" Dean instructed, waving his hand dismissively at him before heading into the kitchenette.

The room they were in this time had a full kitchenette, including a stove so Dean decided to make Sammy some scrambled eggs.

Working in the kitchen, Dean pulled out everything he would need to cook. Eggs, milk, spices, even a small package of bacon and went to work preparing everything while Sammy slowly brushed his teeth and got dressed.

"Hey, are you ready yet?" Dean called out.

"No, not yet" Sammy called back from bathroom.

"The food's getting cold Sammy" Dean groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Slowest kid in the world" Dean thought to himself.

The bacon popped and crackled in the small frying pan, filling the motel with it's delicious scent.

"Come on Sam! Get a move on!" Dean yelled, getting impatient.

A moment later Sam emerged from the bathroom and Dean couldn't help but laugh.

Sam stepped out wearing his favourite Superman shirt, backwards, neon green and black striped pants that were several inches too short, two different coloured socks and his hair spiked in all different directions with what looked like shaving foam.

"Um.. good job Sammy, I like it" Dean giggled.

Sam grinned ear to ear, his eyes sparkling with pride for his new look.

"Eat this before it's completely cold" Dean told him sternly, putting a plate of food in front of him.

Sam ate quickly and eagerly, clearly hungrier than Dean had realized.

"Is there more bacon?" Sam asked suddenly.

"Um, sure Sammy you can have mine" Dean replied, pulling the bacon off his plate and putting it on Sams.

Sam smiled and quickly ate his newly acquired bacon.

Dean finished his eggs before clearing the table and quickly washing all the dishes, sending Sam to go watch cartoons.

"What's this?" Sam asked, holding up the wrapped present.

"It's a birthday present, Dad got it for you" Dean replied, drying the last of dishes and putting them away.

Before Dean could say anything he heard the sound of ripping paper and looking around the corner he found Sammy pulling open his Birthday present, two days early.

"Sam! What are you doing?" Dean asked, stunned.

"Opening my present" Sam replied, staring at Dean quizzically.

"You weren't supposed to do that yet" Dean groaned.

"Why not, it's mine" Sam replied with a shrug before pulling the box open.

"Fine have it your way" Dean thought with a sigh.

"What did dad get you?" Dean asked, curious as it was one of the few birthdays he actually remembered.

"Books!" Sam squealed.

"Can I see them?" Dean asked, sitting down beside him on the bed.

"Sure" Sam chirped, pushing them towards him.

There was a thick book with gold edges that held a collection classic children's stories like Curious George, Where the wild things are and Madeline. Under that was four workbooks to teach reading and writing.

"Well it looks like it's time to teach you a few things" Dean smiled.

Sam tilted his head, staring at him quizzically.

"Come on, lets go to the table" Dean suggested, stacking the books together and taking them with him.

Sammy slid off the bed and followed Dean across the room, settling down on one the old, ripped chairs at the table.

"Stay here for a second" Dean instructed before quickly going to grab one of the yellow legal pads and two pencils from his bag.

Sitting down next to Sam, Dean quickly wrote down the alphabet across the top of the page.

"Here, you see these letters up here?" Dean asked, sliding the pad to Sam and pointing to the top of the page.

"Yes" Sam chirped.

"Good, I want you to take this pencil and write those letters on this line" Dean instructed, drawing a small star beside the line he wanted him to write on.

"But I don't know how" Sam protested.

"It's easy Sammy, just look at how I wrote it and then do the same thing" Dean told him, folding a pencil into his hand and showing him how to trace the first letter.

"I'm going to sit right here and wait until you're finished" Dean smiled, sitting back in his chair.

An hour or so later Sammy dropped his pencil down on the pad in front him and declared he was finished.

"Let's see how you did" Dean grinned, pulling the paper towards himself to check Sam's work.

Looking over the letters Dean was impressed by how few mistakes Sam made, even though his writing skills were going to need a lot of work.

"Good job Sammy" Dean beamed, ruffling up Sams thick brown hair.

"Thanks" Sam giggled, thrilled by Dean's reaction.

Dean spent the rest of the day sitting at the table with Sam, helping him work on properly writing his letters and later putting them together to spell his name.

"Okay Sammy, it's getting late go find your pj's" Dean smiled.

"Kay" Sam nodded, climbing off the chair and digging through his bag for his sleepwear.

"Want me to read you one of your new stories?" Dean asked, holding up the thick, new book he had unwrapped earlier.

"Yes!" Sammy agreed excitedly.

"Alright get in your bed and get comfy" Dean instructed, standing beside his bed while he climbed under all the blankets and snuggled down into the pillow.

"How about we read Curious George?" Dean asked, flipping through the pages to find the story.

Sammy nodded happily and wiggled under the blankets.

Dean spent the next half an hour reading Sam the story of Curious George, making sure to show him all the pictures and use a different voice for every character, just like his dad used to when he read him stories.

"Good night Sammy" Dean whispered to his already sleeping brother.

The temperature spiked suddenly over the next few days, making the motel room nearly unbearable.

"I don't want spaghetti-o's!" Sam screeched, throwing the full bowl across the room.

"Fine! Go to bed hungry then!" Dean growled, grabbing papertowel to clean up the mess.

"NO!" Sam screamed, angry tears rippling down his bright red cheeks.

"What do you want then Sam?" Dean snapped, still mopping up tomato sauce.

"I want cookies!" he demanded, his voice taking on an ear splitting whine.

"We don't have any left Sam, try again" Dean told him, trying to calm him down.

"I want cereal then! the marshmallow kind" He snapped, folding his arms across his chest in a gesture of stubborn protest.

"Fine. You know where it is, go get it" Dean barked, beyond frustrated.

Dean watched as Sam stomped into the kitchenette and pulled the box of cereal out of the cupboard and poured what was left of it, into a bowl. He couldn't wait for Sam's bedtime after the day he had with him, the kid was a total nightmare.

Dean put Sammy to bed at seven o'clock on the nose, he couldn't wait for him to be asleep and quiet for the first time all day.

Once he was sure Sam wasn't going to wake up right away, Dean stepped outside and walked to the coffee shop across the parking lot, he had spotted an arcade game there he wanted to try when they checked in.

Dean couldn't believe how good it felt to be alone, in air conditioning, just for a few minutes even.

"Hey kid, it's closing time, you need to leave" A tall, greasy man in a filthy kitchen apron told him.

"Okay" Dean nodded before shoving the rest of his change into his jacket pocket and leaving.

When he got back into the motel room he knew something was wrong, the door to Sam's room was open just enough for him to see the window was open.

Dean had closed and locked it before he left.

Pulling the gun out of his jacket, Dean quietly pushed the door open.

Standing over Sam was a large black figure, it was tall and wearing a tattered charcoal coloured robe that hung down and puddled on the floor. It's mouth was open and a bright white wave was flowing between it and Sam.

"The Shtriga, it's feeding on Sam!" Dean thought urgently.

Dean brought the hand gun up and took aim but before he could shoot, someone else beat him to it, and with a much larger gun.

"Sammy!" John cried, running to his side after the Shtriga lept out the open window.

"Come on Sammy, wake up!" He bellowed, pulling him against his chest.

"Dad?" Sam whispered.

"Are you okay son?" John asked, still holding him close.

"What happened?" He groaned, still waking up.

"Nothing son, don't worry" He sighed, filled with relief.

"Dean, what the hell happened!" He snapped, his eyes wide with anger.

"I-I'm sorry" Dean stuttered, tears warm in his eyes.

"I told you not to take your eyes off of him!" John growled.

"I.. I just went out for a minute" Dean stammered.

"You went out? You can't do that Dean!" John snapped, a mix of furious and relieved.

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again" Dean cried, defeated. A knot building in the pit of his stomach.

"Sammy could have died!" He shouted.

"I know! I said I was sorry!" Dean screamed, and he was. The only thing he knew he was good for is protecting his little brother and tonight he couldn't even do that.

"Shhh, it's okay Sammy" John whispered, rocking him back and forth on the bed to calm him down.

"Dean, pack the car. We're leaving" John ordered, glaring at him.


	4. Chapter 4

John didn't talk to Dean for a long time after that and as much as it hurt him, Dean couldn't even be angry with him for it because he knew that Sammy nearly dying was his fault.

"You had ONE job Dean" John's words echoed through his head

It had been months since that night but all that anger, that hurt was still fresh in his mind.

Dean shook his head, trying desperately to clear it as he slid the loaded clip into the pistol and took aim at the tin cans he had lined up on one of Bobby's many wrecked vehicles.

"Come on Dean, concentrate" He thought critically after missing the first shot.

Ping, one can flys off the roof of the broken down car.

"That's better" He smirked.

The next four shots were dead on, sending the remaining tins tumbling through the air and onto the ground.

"What the hell are you doing kid?" Bobby asked, sounding a little cranky.

"I'm practising, I have to keep working at it to get better" Dean shrugged.

"P-Practising? Boy, you're nine years old where did you even get a gun?" Bobby questioned, his voice shooting up several octaves.

"Dad" Dean replied quietly, suddenly feeling guilty for some reason he couldn't quite place.

"That son of B-.. What else did your father give you?" Bobby asked, clearly working very hard not to lose his temper.

"Um.. I" Dean stammered.

"It's okay Dean, just show me and I promise you I won't get mad" Bobby reassured him gently.

Dean thought about it carefully for a moment before crawling under the wrecked car he was shooting at and pulling out a large, black duffel bag.

"Here" Dean almost whispered, handing the bag to Bobby.

Bobby placed the bag on the hood of a rusted out pick up truck and slowly unzipped it and poured it out.

Several handguns, a sawed off shotgun and a handful of knives in all different sizes and weights clattered against the old metal.

Bobby's eyes widened in horror as he stared at Dean's arsonal.

"I'm sorry Bobby" Dean whispered, knots building in his stomach.

"This.. This is NOT your fault Dean, do you understand?" Bobby growled, furious and filled with worry all at the same time.

"I.. I need them.. I need to learn so I can protect Sammy.. I have to protect him Bobby" Dean explained, sick with stress and suddenly overwhelmed by the sound of his father's voice. Screaming at him for letting his brother get hurt.

"I.. Dean you shouldn't have to worry about that" Bobby whispered, his heart breaking at the words of a clearly damaged child.

"Come here, kid" Bobby gushed, pulling him into a hug.

"I have to protect him" Dean whispered over and over again into Bobby's chest.

"It's okay" Bobby reassured him, trying to calm him down.

"What the hell is going on here?" John boomed, staring at the two of them.

"YOU" Bobby growled, anger radiating off of him.

"We need to have a talk John. Right now." He snapped, grabbing his arm and dragging him around the corner.

"What the hell Bobby" John questioned, freeing his arm from Bobby's grip.

"You're teaching that boy to hunt aren't you?" Bobby asked, his voice filled with hostility.

"I'm a hunter Bobby, so are you for that matter, what did you think was going to happen?" John shrugged dismissively.

"He's NINE years old John! he's a child!" Bobby yelled, completely exasperated.

"You can't give a child weapons! Are you insane? Have you lost that parental side of you completely?" Bobby ranted.

"Dean is my son! I'm raising him to be strong! To survive and to protect his brother!" John snapped defensively.

"You're not raising a son! you're raising a soldier!" Bobby barked.

"Dean is nine years old and you're teaching him how to kill things! Do you how much damage this is doing to that kid? Do you even care?" Bobby shouted, throwing his hands in the air in frustration.

"Of course I care! Dean know's this is all for his own good, for the good his little brother.. He needs to learn all this stuff to keep Sam safe" John explained, his voice growing softer.

"John, do you even hear yourself? Dean is so tied up in knots over protecting Sam he doesn't sleep at night, he won't close his eyes because he's afraid that he nods off Sammy is going to get attacked!" Bobby gasped, trying desperately to make him understand.

"I'm sorry he's so tied up about it but he needs to protect Sammy, he knows that" John groaned, trying to rationalize everything.

"How can you be so damn callus? You're sacrificing the health, hell the sanity of one of your children to for the sake of the other! don't you see that?" Bobby boomed, infuriated.

"Dean is going to be fine! He's strong, stronger than you realize, have you ever seen him fight? He's so damn good already Bobby, he's truly a natural" John beamed.

"He's nine years old John, he's a child and you're treating him like a grown man! Like a hunter!" Bobby growled, growing more and more angry the longer they spoke.

"He is a hunter! it's in his blood Bobby, can't you see that?" John told him, trying to reason with him.

"He's a child!" Bobby snapped, his eyes filled with fire.

"He's a hunter Bobby, from the second Mary died in that nursery" John murmured.

"He's right Bobby, this is what I'm good for" Dean called out, breaking up the fight before firing another six shots, sending every target flying through the air in lightning quick succession.

"A natural born hunter" John whispered, proud of his son.

"Natural born hun- Damn it John" Bobby muttered.

"Dean, this life you're chasing.. It's not the only option for you, you do know that right?" Bobby asked gently.

"Bobby.. I have to, Sam won't be safe without me and I won't let him get hurt.. Not again" Dean replied, his voice tinged with pain and anger.

Bobby stared into the eyes of the broken child in front of him and he finally understood, no matter what he said to him there was no changing his mind. Dean Winchester was going to be a hunter and he was going to keep his little brother safe, even it killed him. Which it likely would.

"Pie?" Bobby asked, defeated.

"Sure!" Dean beamed, excited at the thought.

"I'll come back to the house as soon as I get all this back in the duffle" Dean grinned, his eyes sparkling.

"Need some help?" John asked.

"No, I got this" Dean replied sternly.

John's blinked, shocked by Dean's response.

"Are you sure?" John asked again, still slightly stunned.

"Dad, go with Bobby. Make up over a slice of pie" Dean insisted, waving dismissively at him.

"If you say so" John shrugged and made his way back towards the house.

Dean carefully put everything back in the duffle bag, checking each weapon to make sure nothing was left loaded before zipping and locking the bag and sliding it back under the rusted out car.

"Pie" Dean grinned and quickly walk towards the house to get a slice.


	5. Chapter 5

The sun was high and hot as it poured through the windows of the guest bedroom at Bobby's.

"Come on Dean, you can't sleep all day" Bobby called from the bottom of the stairs.

" _Yeah, yeah. I hear you Bobby"_ Dean thought with a groan, desperately wishing he didn't have to get up yet.

Summer in Sioux Falls was unbearably hot, humid and when you were living in the scrapyard, never without chores.

At thirteen Dean wanted no part of any of it.

John had dropped Dean and Sam off there a week ago, promising he wouldn't be gone long and reminding Dean to look after Sammy, and to listen to Bobby.

"Your breakfast is getting cold kid, eat it quickly" Bobby growled slightly, pushing a loaded plate towards him.

Dean sat down at the table with a thump before poking lightly at the food in front of him.

"Eat up, you have a busy morning ahead of you" Bobby commented between sips of coffee, flicking the wrinkle out of his newspaper.

"Fine" Dean groaned softly, hesitantly forcing a forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth.

Although he hated to admit it, Bobby was a pretty good cook and breakfast was delicious.

"Where's Sam?" Dean asked, scooping another forkful of food into his mouth.

"In the living room, reading a history book or something" Bobby replied with a chuckle.

Dean nodded, unsurprised and cleaned up what was left on his plate.

"Ready to do some work?" Bobby asked, glancing down at the empty plate.

"Sure Bobby" Dean agreed, quickly downing a glass of orange juice.

Sam followed them outside and found a hollowed out car to continue reading in while Dean and Bobby hauled scrap around, sorting it by size and material.

"Enjoying that book Sammy?" Dean asked, taking a second to wipe the sweat off his head with the back of his gloved hand.

"Mhm" Sam murmured in response, never taking his eyes off the page.

Dean rolled his eyes and grabbed another large piece of rusty metal and passed it Bobby.

The morning went by quickly as Dean and Bobby worked on the piles of scrap and replaced a few parts in one of Bobby's old trucks.

"It's nice having help with all this for a change" Bobby commented appreciatively.

"Anytime" Dean grinned, rubbing a gloved hand across his sweat soaked face.

"I think we're done for the day, why don't go get cleaned up" Bobby suggested.

"Sounds like a plan, can you pry Sammy out of that car?" Dean asked, glancing over at Sam who was still intensely reading the book in his hands.

"Even if I have to use a crowbar to do it" Bobby chuckled reassuringly.

Dean stretched his stiff back as he walked towards the house to take a shower, listening to Bobby trying to get Sam to put the book down long enough to go back inside.

Reaching Bobby's small bathroom, Dean pulled back the grease-stained shower curtain and turned on the water, trying to get it the right temperature.

Dean caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror as he pulled the black cotton t-shirt over his head and couldn't help but chuckle at the grease and mud covered reflection.

The hot water was heavenly against his sticky skin, washing away the sweat and dirt as it cascaded over him, streaming through his dirty blonde hair.

"Dean, Dean, are you done yet?" Sam asked frantically through the door.

"No" Dean groaned.

"Hurry up! I need to talk to you" Sam demanded.

"I'll be out in a minute!" Dean growled, turning the shower off with frustrated force.

Dean dried off and slipped into a clean pair of jeans and pulled a fresh shirt over his head, the material brushing against his wet hair and soaking up some of the moisture.

Sam was waiting on the other side of the door when he pulled it open a moment later.

"What is it Sammy?" Dean asked, tired and annoyed.

"I finished my book but I called and the bookstore has the next one, can we go get it?" Sam chattered excitedly.

"What did Bobby say?" Dean asked, rubbing the towel through his hair.

"Bobby said I could bike there but only if you go with me" Sammy replied, almost bouncing in place.

"Please" Sammy pleaded.

"Fine, go find your helmet" Dean groaned.

"Thanks Dean!" Sammy gushed, racing down the stairs ahead of him.

Dean followed him down the stairs, stopping in the living room to talk to Bobby.

"You better get going Dean, Sammy is already outside" Bobby commented.

"I swear that kids insatiable, does he do anything but read?" Dean asked, still slightly annoyed about his shower being interrupted.

"I don't think he's put that book down since he got there" Bobby chuckled.

"Come on Dean!" Sammy hollered from outside.

"Just a second!" Dean shouted back.

"You should probably go before he leaves without you" Bobby laughed.

Dean really didn't want to go anywhere, not after working all morning but he couldn't bring himself to say no to Sammy.

The mall was a twenty minute bike ride from the scrap yard but with the sun pounding down on him it felt like much longer.

"Okay Sammy, go find your book" Dean instructed, settling down on the bench just outside the bookstore.

Dean watched Sam walk into the bookstore and head straight for the back wall, expertly knowing exactly where he needed to go.

Dean pulled his walkman out of his pocket, flipping his AC/DC cassette over, putting his orange spongy headphones over his ears and pressing play. Once Sam is surrounded by books there's no telling how long he'll be gone.

"Thunderstruck?" A voice asked, barely audible over the music.

Looking up, Dean realized there was a girl standing in front of him.

" _She is really cute"_ Dean thought, stunned.

"The song you're listening to, its Thunderstruck right?" She asked again, a smile stretching across her face.

"Uh.. Yeah" He stammered.

"That is a great song" She gushed, sitting down beside him.

"It really is" He replied, regaining his composure.

"I have the same tape, see?" She told him, popping it out of her walkman and holding it up for him to see.

"Awesome" He breathed, excited.

"Want to listen to it together?" She suggested, putting the tape back into her player.

"Sure" Dean grinned, sliding his headphones back on.

Dean watched through his eyelashes as this girl whose name he didn't yet know, mouthed every word to his favourite song while her long chocolate curls bounced and swayed with her every movement.

"I'm Beth by the way" She introduced herself.

"Dean" He smiled.

"So.. Do you have any other tapes?" She asked curiously.

"Um.. yeah back at Bobby's I have a whole bunch" He replied, grinning ear to ear.

"Cool! I have lots too! but this one is my favourite" Beth chattered excitedly.

The two of them talked for over an hour before she had to head home.

"What time is it?" Beth asked suddenly.

"4:30" Dean replied, looking at his watch and realizing how long Sam had been sitting cross legged on the floor of the store reading.

"Damn, I have to go" She sighed, putting walkman back into her bag.

"Oh" Dean replied, feeling deflated.

Without saying a word, Beth grabbed Dean's hand and wrote a phone number across his palm with a small lightning bolt just below it.

"Call me, we can compare music!" She grinned before turning on her heel and walking away.

Dean watch as she left, for the first time noticing what she was wearing; Daisy duke shorts, a sleeveless white shirt and tall, black leather army boots. How she could wear them in this heat, he would never know.

"I'm ready to go" Sam announced happily as he walked out of the store with a bag full of new books.

"It's about time" Dean replied, glancing nervously at his own palm.

Dean followed Sam out of the mall, waiting patiently while he hooked the bag securely around the handlebars of his bike before making their way back to the big, old scrapyard they were currently calling home.

"Good timing, supper will be ready in a minute" Bobby called as Sam raced passed him and straight up the stairs.

Dean sat down quietly at the table, hovering his hand over the old white phone several times and pulling it away without touching it.

"Need to make a call son?" Bobby asked curiously, peeking over at him from the stove.

"Um.. No" Dean stammered, feeling like he had a stomach full of butterflies.

"Who is she?" Bobby asked with a grin, recognizing Dean's expression.

"H-How?" Dean gasped.

"I've seen that face before, hell I've made it myself a few times" He laughed, poking at meat in the frying pan.

"Oh" Dean blinked, trying collect his thoughts.

"Go ahead and call her, supper will hold for a few minutes" Bobby encouraged, pointing towards the phone with the spatula.

" _You can do this, you've killed a werewolf! You can handle calling a girl"_ He thought, trying to work up the courage to dial her number.

" _Okay, so you didn't kill it.. But dad wouldn't have been able to find it without your help so.. It's basically the same thing"_ He noted metally.

After taking a few deep breaths Dean picked up the phone and very carefully dialed the number written across his hand.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

"Hello?" An unfamiliar voice answered.

"H-Hi is Beth there?" Dean asked, his voice cracking.

"Hang on" The voice murmured.

Dean waited anxiously, listening to footsteps and someone calling her name on the other end of the line.

"Hi" Beth chirped, making Dean jump in his chair.

"Hi Beth" Dean replied the butterflies flapping even harder in his stomach, as if they were trying to escape.

"Long time, no talk Dean" She teased, her voice bubbly.

"Yeah" Dean agreed, trying to find his words again.

"So.. Did you want to talk to me?" Beth asked, probing him for a full sentence.

"Um.. Yeah, do you want to listen to music again tomorrow?" Dean asked finally finding his voice, and confidence again.

"Sure! When and where?" She giggled with excitement.

"Do you know where the scrap yard is?" He asked hopefully.

"Of course!" Beth giggled again.

"Cool, meet me there tomorrow around 2:00?" Dean suggested, excitement clear in his voice.

"Sounds like a plan! see you tomorrow Dean, bye" Beth gushed before hanging up the phone.

Dean grinned excitedly at the phone for a long moment before placing it back on it's cradle.

"Sounds like that went well" Bobby observed, grinning ear to ear.

"Yeah.. It did" He beamed.

"When is she coming over?" Bobby asked knowingly.

"Tomorrow around 2:00" He grinned happily.

"You know.. There's a 1957 Nomad tucked away in the far corner of the scrap yard, right up on the ridge there" Bobby mentioned.

"Okay.." Dean replied, confused.

"It's way at the back.. away from the house.. perfect for sitting around, listening to music" Bobby suggested, a grin playing on his lips as he innocently poked at the contents of the frying pan.

"Oh..Thanks" Dean replied, suddenly realizing what Bobby was getting at, his cheeks flushing dark.

"Sammy" Dean muttered, panic spreading across his face.

"What?" Bobby asked, concerned by his new expression.

"I can't watch Sammy and hang out with Beth at the same time" Dean replied frantically.

"Dean.. spend the afternoon with Beth, I'll keep Sammy busy" Bobby assured him.

"And safe" Bobby added in a whisper, hoping to put his mind at ease.

"Are you sure? Dad told me to take care of him.." He tapered off, his voice full of stress.

" _Damn it John, are you happy now?"_ Bobby thought, heartbroken by what he was hearing.

"Dean, it's okay. Sammy will be fine with me tomorrow" Bobby reassured him again, trying desperately to get through to him.

"Thanks Bobby" Dean replied, visibly relieved.

"Anytime kid" Bobby smiled, mussing his hair before calling Sam for supper.

Dean's hands shook slightly as he pressed a wobbling forkful of supper to his lips, too excited to have much of an appetite.

After what felt like a lifetime, the table was cleared, dishes washed and the boys were dismissed for the night while Bobby disappeared into his study, chasing after the sound of a ringing phone.

Dean went up to his room and poured through the box of cassettes his dad gave him, picking out all his favourite ones and hoping Beth had actually heard some of the songs before.

" _She's going to love this one"_ He thought with a grin as his turned an Eagles cassette over in his hand and then placing it on the floor beside him.

After a lot of consideration Dean decided on a dozen or so tapes and packed them carefully into the bottom of his black backpack, next to his walkman and a handful of fresh batteries before glancing at the clock.

" _Midnight? how did that happen"_ He thought, shocked that he had really just spent five or so hours picking out music.

Getting to his feet, Dean quickly slipped out of his room and cracked open Sammy's door to check on him.

"Hey, why are you still awake?" Dean asked, irritated at himself for not checking on him earlier.

"I'm reading. Why are you still awake?" Sammy retorted, his eyes never leaving the page.

"Because I'm older, lights out Sammy" Dean barked back softly, unsure if Bobby was sleeping yet.

"B-but Dean" Sammy groaned.

"No buts. Sleep. Now." Dean ordered, walking across the room and carefully removing the book from his hands before turning off the lamp.

"I don't want to go bed, give it back" Sammy protested, sleep heavy on his face.

"I don't care if you want to or not. You should've been sleeping hours ago, what would dad say?" Dean replied sternly, using the "Just do it, Sammy" voice he had perfected over the years.

"No" Sam growled, crossing his arms in defiance.

"Sammy! I am not arguing here. You're lying down and going to bed, end of of story" Dean growled, quickly moving across the small room and pulling the book from his hands, officially done with Sam's attitude.

Sammy glared daggers at him for a long moment before finally giving up and slouching down under his blankets.

"Good night Sammy" Dean whispered before putting the book down on Sams dresser and walking down the hall to the bathroom.

" _Bobby's still awake"_ he mused, hearing him growling at some unfortunate soul through the vent by the sink.

Dean brushed his teeth and washed his face before making his way back down the hallway to Sam's room, peeking through the crack of the slightly opened door he couldn't help but smile.

" _Good night Sammy"_ he whispered, grinning through the darkness at his sleeping brother.

After quietly closing Sammy's door, Dean tip toed towards his room at the very end of the hall. A voice caught his attention before he could get get inside.

"You're up late" Bobby commented, climbing the old wooden stairs as they whined in protest under his feet.

"Yeah, I kinda lost track of time" Dean replied, blushing slightly.

"Women will do that to you" Bobby laughed.

Dean's cheeks burned with embarrassment as he thumbed the amulet on his necklace.

"Don't worry kid, happens to the best of us" Bobby mused.

"What about you Bobby?" Dean asked suddenly.

"What?" Bobby replied, tired and a little miffed by the question.

"Have you ever lost track of time, thinking about a woman?" Dean asked, his cheeks still pink.

"Karen.. I lose a lot of time thinking about her" Bobby answered softly, his eyes glistening in the dim light.

"I'm sorry.. I shouldn't have asked" Dean apologized, seeing the pain all over his face and quickly regretting his question.

"It's okay, son" Bobby replied gently, pulling him into a bear hug and squeezing.

"B-Bobby. Can't breath" Dean gasped against his massive chest.

"Sorry kid, go get some sleep would you" Bobby laughed and dismissed him.

"Good night Bobby" Dean called as Bobby disappeared down the hall.

"Good night Dean" He called back from the darkness.

Dean fell asleep quickly after that, suddenly too exhausted to keep his eyes open.


	6. Chapter 6

Nightmares plagued him while he slept, his mother's body clung to the ceiling, her eyes wide with horror as she is quickly swallowed by flames and John shoving a very tiny Sam into his chest and screaming at him to run.

Dean woke up covered in a cold sweat, his heart pounding so hard he thought it might break through his ribs if it didn't slow down.

"Dean! get up!" Sammy hollered.

"I'm up, I'll be down soon" He yelled back, his voice gravelly from sleep.

Dean sat up with a groan and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand before glancing over at the clock.

" _How is it 10:00 right now? Didn't I just close my eyes a second ago"_ He thought groggily.

Dean quickly threw his work clothes on and ran out to the scrapyard to find Bobby, knowing he shouldn't have been working hours ago.

"Morning Dean, how'd you sleep?" Bobby chirped, taking a socket wrench to something under the hood of the truck he was working on.

"Morning Bobby, I slept okay I guess" Dean replied honestly, still reeling slightly from the nightmares.

"Nightmares again?" Bobby asked, his eyes never leaving the parts he was working on.

"Yeah" He admitted.

"I'm sorry, I know what that's like" Bobby assured him kindly.

"I know you do, don't worry about me. I'm okay" Dean replied, finding his strength again.

The rest of the morning went by quickly after that, Dean and Bobby worked together on a 1967 Chev Truck with a bad motor, slowly taking it apart to find the problem.

"Well, it's 2:30. You should go get changed, Beth will be here soon" Bobby told him with a grin.

"Good idea" Dean agreed, wiping his grease covered hands on his jeans before heading back to the house for a much needed shower.

Dean's head swam with excitement as he stood under the barely warm water, allowing it to stream through his hair and down his back while he tried to slow his heart-rate down.

" _Come on, get it together. Beth will be here soon"_ Dean thought, pushing the shower knob down with his foot before climbing out.

Dean quickly dressed before going to work on his hair, carefully running his hands through it and twisting a few pieces between his fingers as he sculpted his dirty blond locks into a perfect bed-head look.

 _"That's more like it"_ he thought with a grin, starting to calm down.

"What are doing in there?" Sam asked from the other side of the door.

"N-nothing.. Just getting cleaned up" Dean replied, startled.

"Well you better hurry up, Bobby is looking for you" Sam told him with a chuckle before walking away from the door.

 _"What does Bobby want?"_ Dean wondered as he quickly hung the damp towel up to dry before going to the kitchen to look for Bobby.

"Hey kid, how are you feeling?" Bobby asked, his voice warm and comforting.

"I'm fine" Dean lied, his heart rate jumping.

"You don't need to be nervous, you'll be fine" Bobby commented, glancing at him over the edge of his newspaper.

"So.. Sam said you were looking for me?" Dean replied hoping to change the subject.

"I just wanted to make sure you're doing okay, that girl should be here any second" Bobby reminded him.

Dean's heart skipped a beat, for a split second he had forgotten she was coming.

"Don't worry kid, you're going to be fine just be yourself" Bobby laughed, seeing the sudden panic flicker across his face.

"Thanks Bobby" Dean replied, feeling a little better.

"There's someone at the door!" Sammy yelled from the living room.

"I'll get it!" Dean called back.

"Hiya Dean" Beth chirped as he opened the door.

"Hi Beth" Dean replied.

"Did you bring your music?" He asked with a grin.

"Right here" She beamed, turning slightly to show him the backpack she was wearing.

"Cool, I know the an awesome place we can go listen to it" He told her, looking back at Bobby once more before stepping outside.

"So do you live here?" Beth asked as they walked between two rows of flattened vehicles.

"Um.. Sort of, my dad had to go out of town for work so Sammy and I are staying with Bobby until he gets back" Dean explained nervously.

"Oh, my dad works out of town too sometimes" She smiled.

"This place is so cool" She blurted out suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked curiously.

"Well look at all these awesome cars! That's a 1965 Chevrolet C-10 shortbed pickup truck right there!" She beamed, running up to it to take a closer look.

" _You_ like cars?" Dean asked in disbelief.

"I love cars! My grandpa used to restore and sell them before he passed away last year" She explained.

"Really? I help Bobby restore cars all the time" He told her, suddenly feeling calmer.

"Awesome!" Beth chirped.

"Come on, I have something to show you" Dean beamed, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the far end of the scrapyard.

Beth's eyes widened with excitement when she saw the old Nomad on the hill.

"I thought we could sit in here and listen to the music" Dean grinned.

"Perfect!" She gasped, hauling him up the hill towards it.

Dean opened the passenger side door for her before climbing in the other side.

Over the course of the afternoon the two of them went through every cassette they owned, singing along to every song at the top of their lungs.

Rock you like a Hurricane faded out, marking the end of the cassette as they erupted into a fit a laughter.

"I don't think I've ever had this much fun" Dean laughed, happier than he could ever remember being.

"Me neither" Beth giggled.

"By the way, towards the end there, did you or did you not play your leg like a guitar?" Beth asked with a laugh.

"I may have" Dean replied, a crooked grin playing on his lips and his cheeks burning slightly.

"Awesome" She whispered.

Beth shifted, moving in closer and playfully biting her bottom lip for a second before leaning over and kissing him.

"Wow" Dean gasped.

"I was waiting for you to that but.." Beth grinned, clearly pleased with herself.

Dean grinned and quickly returned the kiss, noting the sweet cherry flavour of the chapstick she was wearing.

" _This girl is amazing"_ he thought fleetingly as her lips parted slightly against his.

Beth wrapped her fingers into Dean's hair, pulling him closer as their lips pressed hungrily against each other.

Dean let his instincts take over, gently pushing Beth down onto the bench seat of the Nomad and tracing his tongue along her soft, cherry flavoured lips.

Beth moaned softly as he ran his right hand along her ribs, pressing his fingertips into her hip and shifting his weight on top of her.

"Do you want me to stop?" Dean whispered breathlessly.

"No" Beth murmured, burying her lips against his neck and biting gently.

Dean tangled his fingers into her long chocolate curls, tilting her head up slightly and pressing his lips under the edge of her jaw, sucking the skin between his teeth and lightly biting down.

"Dean!" A voice shouted from just outside the vehicle.

"Sammy!" Dean gasped, quickly sitting up and scrambling out of the car.

"What are you doing out here Sammy?" Dean questioned, his face flushed with embarrassment.

"Bobby's' sleeping in his chair again, I got bored" Sam shrugged.

" _Damn it Bobby, you were supposed to be watching him"_ Dean thought, feeling annoyed and concerned at the same time.

"Go back to the house Sam. Now." Dean ordered.

"I don't want to!" Sammy groaned.

"I don't care, you aren't supposed to be here alone. You know that" Dean replied, feeling more like his keeper than his brother.

" _You're_ out here alone" Sam replied, irritated.

"Because I'm older than you and I'm allowed" Dean retorted, watching the aggravation spread across his baby brothers face.

"That's not fair! I don't want to go back to the house" Sammy whined, crossing his arms and stomping his foot like the child he was.

"Life isn't fair Sam. I'm the oldest, I'm in charge. MARCH" Dean snapped, not in the mood to deal with a tantrum.

Dean stared, unwavering as Sam glared at him, stomping his feet in rebellion.

"I swear Sammy, if you don't go back to the house right now, so help me I will drag you there kicking and screaming" Dean warned, voice filled with authority.

Sammy stood his ground, stubbornly determined to get his way.

"I warned you" Dean growled.

Sam's eyes widened with disbelief as Dean took several steps towards him and grabbed a hold of one of his ears and walked him back across the scrapyard to the house, yelping and fighting the entire way there.

" _You had fair warning kid"_ He thought as Sam scrambled, trying unsuccessfully to get out of his grasp.

"Let go!" Sam squealed.

"No. This is for your own good Sam, it's my job to keep you safe. Never forget that" Dean told him, sounding very protective.

Dean dragged Sam clear across the scrap yard and into the house, slamming the door behind them.

"Room. Now." Dean barked, letting go of his ear.

Sam stormed off without a word, stomping his way up the stairs and eventually slamming the bedroom door.

"Bobby" Dean called as he walked towards the living room.

"W-What.. Yeah Dean?" He grumbled sleepily.

"You promised you would keep an eye on Sammy for me" Dean reminded him, sounding more hurt than angry.

"I am, he's upstairs reading isn't he?" Bobby replied, baffled.

"He is now. He came and found me out in the scrapyard and I dragged him back here" Dean explained.

"Balls. I'm sorry Dean, I sat down to do some research and I guess I nodded off" Bobby apologized.

"It's not your fault Bobby, I'm not supposed to let him out of my sight, I'm supposed to be taking care of him" Dean mumbled, scolding himself.

"Dean.. I'm sorry I fell asleep on you but Sam is fine" Bobby assured him.

"You can't keep an eye on him 24/7, he's growing up too and I can promise you that he will fine on his own for a while" Bobby told him softly.

"But dad said not to let him out of my sight" Dean replied almost robotically.

"John isn't here and Sam isn't a baby anymore. Believe it or not, he can take care of himself from time to time" Bobby replied sternly.

"I guess you're right but can you please keep him in the house? I have to get back to Beth" Dean pleaded.

"I'll keep him in the house, don't worry" Bobby replied softly.

"Thank you" Dean replied before heading back to the Nomad.

"Sorry about that" Dean apologized as he climbed back into the car.

"Who was that?" She asked curiously.

"That was Sammy, my little brother" Dean replied, still slightly annoyed.

"Oh" Beth smiled warmly.

"He's not supposed to be out here alone, I had to bring him back to the house" Dean explained with a sigh.

"Do you take care of your brother? where's your mom?" Beth asked innocently.

"Yeah, I take care of Sam. He's my responsibility when Dad's out of town and mom.. she died.. in a house fire when I was four" Dean answered honestly, his voice going raw towards the end.

"Oh.. I'm sorry.. I didn't.." Beth trailed off, staring down at her fingers self consciously.

"That's okay, mom has been gone for a long time" Dean reassured her, taking her hands in his.

Beth pulled Dean into a hug, holding him tightly for a moment and hoping it would help.

"I'm sorry about your mom.. I know what it's like.. my mom is gone too" Beth told him softly, tears rimming the edges of her big blue eyes.

Dean wiped away her tears with his thumbs and pulled her in close, holding her tightly against his chest for a long time.

"I.. I should go" Beth sniffled.

"It's getting dark out, let me walk you home okay?" Dean pleaded gently, suddenly feeling protective of her.

"You don't have to, I know the way home" Beth assured him.

"I know I don't have to but.. I'd feel a lot better if I could" Dean told her honestly, his voice raw with emotion.

Beth nodded and quickly put everything she brought with her back into her bag.

"I just need to tell Bobby I'm leaving before we go" Dean informed her, taking her hand as they walked towards the house.

"Hey Bobby, I'm walking Beth home. I'll be back" He called into the already dark house.

"Be safe" Bobby bellowed back.

Beth started to shiver as they walked hand in hand, towards her street and goosebumps covered her arms from the cold.

"Are you cold?" Dean asked caringly.

"A little bit" Beth replied reluctantly.

"Here, wear this" Dean smiled, pulling off his leather jacket and draping it over her shoulders.

"Are you sure? Won't you be cold now?" Beth asked, her cheeks turning pink.

"I'll be fine, you need it more than I do" Dean replied warmly, a crooked grin stretching across his face.

Dean couldn't help but smile as Beth slid her arms into the jacket and pulled it closer, holding it against her skin as they walked and when she thought he wasn't looking, buried her face against the soft leather.

"This is me" Beth sighed as they walked up to a large white house with dark green shutters and a wrap around porch.

"Good night Beth" Dean whispered, softly kissing her.

"Good night Dean" She replied, biting her lower lip before sliding the jacket off and handing it back to him.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Beth asked quickly.

"You know where to find me" Dean grinned, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Beth quickly kissed Dean one more time before running into the house to escape the cold.

Dean pushed his arms back into his jacket and started back towards the scrapyard.

The smell of apple shampoo clung to the old leather and filled Dean's nose as he walked against the wind.

"Hey kid, how'd it go?" Bobby asked with a grin as Dean stepped into the house.

"Awesome" He smirked, his cheeks burning slightly.

"Beth is.. amazing" He sighed.

"Oh, I've seen that look before" Bobby laughed.

Dean blushed deeply, looking down at his hands in embarrassment.

"Your dad called earlier by the way" Bobby mentioned, sounding a touch angry.

"He did? are we leaving?" Dean asked, feeling panicked.

"No. The job is taking longer than he thought it would, he doesn't know when he'll make it back" Bobby replied reassuringly.

"Oh" Dean breathed, his heart still thundering in his chest.

"Where's Sam?" He asked curiously.

"Upstairs, I sent him to bed an hour ago" Bobby assured him.

"Thanks Bobby" He replied through a yawn.

"Sounds like someone could use some sleep" He laughed.

"Yeah, that might be a good idea" He agreed, stifling another yawn.


	7. Chapter 7

Sleep had never felt as good as it did that night, the usual nightmares were replaced by images of Beth; the way she bites her lip when she's concentrating on something, the face splitting smile that stretched across her face while they sang Livin on a Prayer together and the way she looked wearing his jacket the night before.

"Rise and shine kid!" Bobby called from the bottom of the stairs, his voice echoing through the narrow hallway.

"Coming" Dean replied, quickly pulling a t-shirt over his head.

"Morning Sammy" Dean chirped, sitting down at the table for breakfast.

"Morning" Sam grumbled.

"Someone sounds a little cranky" Dean commented between bites.

Sam glared across the table, unaffected by his brothers cheerful banter.

"Oh, I see what's happening here, you're mad at me for yesterday aren't you?" Dean guessed, downing his glass of orange juice.

"That's fine, you go ahead and stay mad me but you know I did it for your own good" Dean told him, ignoring the lack of response.

"Come on Bobby, let's get working" Dean called towards the living room where he was enjoying the morning paper.

"You got it kid, let's go" Bobby replied, folding his paper up and putting it aside for later.

"Sammy, since you aren't talking to me anyways go to your room and stay there, I'll come see if you're feeling more talkative later" Dean instructed.

Sam shoved his empty plate across the table with as much force as he could muster before muttering something under his breath and stomping up the stairs.

"Some days I'd swear you were his father, not his brother" Bobby commented as they walked outside.

"I hate to have him mad at me but he's my responsibility and if keeping safe means pissing him off.. I guess I can live with that" Dean replied with a sigh.

"You're a good brother Dean, one day Sam's going to realize it and thank you for all of this" Bobby assured him, seeing the stress in his eyes.

"Thanks Bobby" Dean smiled.

The morning went by quickly as they hauled scrap across the yard to the crusher, piling it to be compressed another day.

"Well I don't know about you kid, but I think I might melt if I stay out in this heat any longer" Bobby laughed, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"I should probably talk to Sam anyways" Dean agreed, following him back to the house.

Dean made his way up the stairs to Sam's room.

"I'm coming in" Dean warned, knocking on the door before opening it.

"What do you want Dean?" Sam barked.

"I don't want anything" Dean replied, frustrated with his attitude.

"Then get out of my room and leave me alone" Sam growled, throwing a pillow in his direction.

"Fine, I'll leave but I won't apologize for yesterday. You did something you knew you weren't allowed to do and then you straight up defied me, not to mention making Bobby look bad" Dean told him sternly.

Dean couldn't help but notice Sam's expression soften at the mention of Bobby's name.

"It was Bobby's job to make sure you stayed safe, he trusted you to stay in the house and you broke that trust by sneaking out. That's not alright Sam, do you understand that? Do you have any idea how hurt Bobby would have been if something had happened to you?" Dean continued, determined to get through to him.

"I didn't.. I didn't mean to get Bobby in trouble" Sam whispered.

"Well you did. In fact I think you owe him and me an apology for your behaviour" Dean informed him, finally seeing some remorse from him.

"I'm sorry Dean.. I won't do it again" Sam sniffed.

"Sammy, you know I love you right? I just don't want you to get hurt" Dean assured him, pulling him into a hug.

"I love you too Dean" Sammy whispered.

"Now, I want you to go apologize to Bobby and then we'll have some lunch" Dean prompted, walking him out of his room.

Sam marched dutifully down the stairs to the living room to find Bobby.

"Hey Sam, what's going on?" He asked, folding back his paper.

"I'm sorry I snuck out yesterday while you were sleeping and got you in trouble" Sam blurted, staring at his hands.

"That's okay kid, come here" Bobby smiled and pulled him into a bear hug.

The next few weeks flew by quickly, Dean worked with Bobby in the mornings and spent every afternoon tucked away in the back of scrapyard with Beth.

"Your girlfriends here" Sammy chuckled teasingly.

"Oh don't worry Sammy, you'll find one too someday" Dean teased, ruffling up his hair.

Before Sam could respond Beth was knocking on the door.

"Come on in" Bobby called from somewhere in the house.

"Hi Mr. Singer" Beth chirped happily.

"Hey sweetheart, Dean is still upstairs I think but you can go look for him if you want" Bobby replied warmly.

"Thanks Mr. Singer" Beth grinned, her voice high and bubbly.

"Oh and Beth, call me Bobby" He told her gently.

Beth breezed up the stairs to look for Dean, knowing exactly where his room was.

"Hi Sam, is Dean in his room?" Beth asked as she passed by Sam in the hall.

"Yup, I think he's still putting that styling goop in his hair" Sam snickered.

Beth made her way down the hall to Dean's bedroom and quickly slipped past the partially closed door.

"Guess who" Beth purred as she wrapped her fingers over his eyes.

"Hey baby" Dean grinned before turning around and quickly kissing her.

Beth sunk into Dean's arms, her lips melding in perfect harmony with his own and wrapped her fingers into his freshly gelled hair.

The sound of Sam giggling caught Dean's attention immediately, as he spun Beth off his lap and onto the bed beside him in one fluid motion.

"Dean and Beth, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Sam mocked from doorway.

"Get out of here Sam!" Dean screeched before launching a pillow at the door, slamming it shut.

"Sorry about that" Dean purred, his voice soft like satin.

"That's okay, he's just being a little brother" Beth smiled, gently chewing on her lower lip.

Dean slid his fingers into her long dark curls and pulled her lips against his.

"Dean.. I have an idea" Beth breathed, pulling herself away from him for a moment.

"Okay" Dean whispered, having a hard time concentrating.

"How would you like to go camping with me?" Beth grinned.

"C-camping? where did that come from?" Dean stammered, feeling a little confused.

"Well.. I was thinking if we went camping.. we would have the whole night together" Beth hinted, her eyes bright with excitement.

"Oh.. that is a fantastic idea" Dean grinned before kissing her again.

"I thought you might like that" Beth giggled.

"When do you want to go?" He asked curiously.

"Hm.. how about friday? my dad is going out of town that morning" Beth smiled.

"Friday it is" Dean agreed, completely helpless against her smile.

"I'll have to clear it with Bobby though, I need him to watch Sam for me" Dean told her quickly.

"Why don't you bring him along? I have an extra tent and then Bobby won't have a reason to say no" Beth suggested warmly.

"You..are.. awesome" Dean purred against her neck.

Dean trailed kisses along Beth's neck, smiling at the way she responded to his every touch, arching to get closer.

"We.. Shouldn't do this here" Beth breathed reluctantly.

"I guess you're right" Dean sighed, hesitantly pulling away from her.

"I can't stay long today, told dad I'd help him pack and do some baking him before he leaves" Beth told him softly.

"Okay.. I'll talk to Bobby about tomorrow" Dean smiled, excitedly by the thought of spending the night with her.

"I'll see you tomorrow sweetheart" Beth breathed, kissing him softly before leaving.

Dean laid back on his bed for a long moment, closing his eyes and breathing in the scent Beth always leaves behind.

His mind was swimming when he found Bobby sitting, half asleep in his lazy-boy recliner in the kitchen.

"Hey Dean, looks like you had fun" Bobby snickered.

"I did.. I have something to run by you" Dean started, feeling nervous for the first time in forever.

"Go for it" Bobby smiled.

"Would it be okay if I went camping with Beth this weekend?" Dean asked timidly, feeling his cheeks get red.

"What about Sam?" He replied softly.

"Oh, Beth said we should take him with us and frankly the kid could use some sun" Dean replied, feeling better already.

"In that case, have fun kid and bring plenty of food" Bobby grinned, happy that Dean was finally acting his age.

"Thanks Bobby" Dean boomed excitedly.

"The camping supplies is in the shed, you better go look for it now god only knows how buried it is" Bobby laughed, cringing slightly at the thought.

Dean spent the rest of the afternoon digging out the sleeping bags, portable stove, kerosine lanterns and camp pots, making sure everything was clean and hole free.

"Hey Sammy, we're going camping this weekend so figure out what you want to bring" Dean told him happily from the doorway of his room.

"Camping? With who?" Sam questioned suddenly confused.

"Beth and myself, you need to get some sun, if you get any paler I'll lose you in the snow this winter" Dean laughed teasingly.

"Okay, can I bring my books?" Sam asked, anxiously rubbing the corner of the page between his finger and thumb.

"Sure Sammy, if you want to" Dean smiled.

 _"I love that kid but he is nothing like me"_ Dean mused to himself.

Dean threw a fresh outfit into his ragged old backpack, humming happily to himself when a knock at his door caught his attention.

"Hey kid, can I talk to you" Bobby asked anxiously.

"Sure Bobby, what do you need?" Dean asked happily.

"Well I think we should have a talk" He started, his cheeks burning under his beard.

"What about?" Dean asked, concerned by the look on his face.

"Well you and Beth have been spending a lot of time together, and I know you're at that age where you want to um.. Explore certain urges" Bobby fidgeted, feeling uncomfortable.

"Bobby you really don't have to do this" Dean told him as he realized what he was talking about.

"No, no your dad isn't here and you need to hear this" Bobby replied softly, sounding very much like a parent.

"If you and Beth decide you want to.. Explore things, I want you to know that's okay, it's healthy but you need to make sure that Beth is comfortable with it, if she tells you no you stop immediately. You hear me? You don't do anything she doesn't want to do" Bobby instructed, his voice stern and authoritative.

"Believe me Bobby, you don't have to worry about me. I would never do anything to hurt her" Dean breathed.

"I'm glad to hear you say that. Here take these and pack them, even if you don't need them I would feel better if I knew you had them" Bobby replied, pushing a box of condoms into his hand.

"Um.. Thanks Bobby" Dean chuckled nervously and slid the box into his backpack.

"Okay, well I'm going to drink until this isn't awkward anymore" Bobby laughed, running his hand along the back of his neck.

 _"I wonder if we'll need these"_ Dean thought anxiously, staring at the unopened box.

Sleep wouldn't come that night, no matter how many times he tossed and turned. The room was hot even though he had his window wide open and his mind was restless and filled with possibilities about the upcoming camping trip.

Dean packed all the camping gear for him and Sammy stacking it all in the porch for the next day. Bobby went into town and bought a huge amount of hotdogs, marshmallows, chocolate squares and graham crackers for s'mores and helped Dean pack the cooler properly after breakfast.

Dean picked up the phone and called Beth around noon.

"Hey Hun, are you ready?" Dean asked excitedly.

"Just about give me five minutes" Beth chirped.

"Okay, we'll be there to pick you up soon" Dean replied, smiling ear to ear.

"See you soon" Beth replied happily before hanging up.

Dean and Bobby loaded everything into his rusted old pickup truck and got ready to leave while Sam struggled to decide what he wanted to read for the weekend.

"Come on Sam, get a move on it's time to go!" Dean hollered.

Sam came bounding outside a moment later with his choice of book tucked under one arm and his backpack swung over the other.

Split rock creek state park was only a forty five minute drive from Beth's house that Bobby was happy to make for them, knowing this would likely be the only proper outing the boys would get for a long time and wanting Dean especially to have some normal, healthy fun for a change.

"Okay kids, the camping spot is yours for the weekend and Dean has the cellphone in case you need anything, I'm going to head back" Bobby explained, carefully stretching his back while he talked.

"Thanks for everything Bobby, see you Sunday!" Dean grinned, playfully smacking his shoulder.

"You kids have fun" Bobby smiled, climbing back into his truck and driving away.

Dean made quick work of putting up the tents while Sam and Beth collected fire wood for the night and unrolled sleeping bags.

"Everyone ready for supper?" Dean asked happily.

"I am" Sam chirped.

"Me too" Beth smiled.

Beth pulled the hotdogs from the cooler while Dean stacked the wood and lit a small bonfire.

Flames licked at the dry wood, quickly consuming it and leaving a thick bed of ash and embers in it's place.

"Want another s'more Sammy?" Dean asked warmly while he stuck another marshmallow on his stick.

"One more" Sammy replied through a yawn.

Dean carefully turned the marshmallow, hovering it just over top of the bed of embers and watching as it swelled and browned slightly before quickly sandwiching it between two graham crackers and passing it to a very sleepy Sam.

Beth smiled softly from the other side of the fire, the flames highlighting her pale skin and bouncing off her sun bleached curls.

Sam let out another yawn, rubbing his eyes with the backs of his hands like he did as a toddler, a tell tale sign it was time for him to go to bed.

"Come on Sammy, I think it's bed time for you" Dean murmured encouragingly.

"Kay" Sam mumbled back before crawling his way into his tent, zipping it tightly behind him.

"Hi" Dean purred as he slid down behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Hi" she murmured, tilting her head back and planting a kiss against his soft, warm lips.

Standing up, Beth took Dean's hand and led him into the large green and gray tent and quickly zipped the door behind them.

Sitting down on the large soft sleeping bag Dean pressed his lips gently against hers, gently lowering her down to the pillow.

Beth wound one hand into his hair and pulled him down harder on top of her while sliding the other along his back, tracing his spine with the tips of her fingers in a slow, teasing circles.

Dean eagerly followed her cues and carefully slid on top of her, his lips never leaving Beth's. In a moment of bravery he gently dragged one hand up her ribs, hovering hesitantly over her breasts for a moment before Beth smiled; taking his hand and placing it directly on top of one.

" _She's so.. soft"_ Dean thought as he gently cupped her right breast.

Beth sunk her teeth playfully into his lower lip while she reached down and unbuttoned his jeans.

"We.. We don't have to do this if you don't want to" Dean breathed, his words genuine but full of hope.

"I know" Beth growled seductively before shoving the waist of his jeans down.

"Are you sure you want this?" Dean asked once more, determined not to hurt her.

"I'm sure Dean" She replied, looking deep into his eyes.

"Okay" Dean breathed before kissing her again.

The next morning Dean was momentarily confused when he noticed a small patch of blood on the sleeping bag, until the night before came flooding back.

"Good morning" Beth purred sweetly.

"Good morning" Dean smiled, leaning in for a kiss.

"Are you guys ever getting up!" Sam called from outside the tent.

"In a minute Sammy" Dean groaned, quickly pulling on his jeans and t-shirt.

"Bobby will be here soon, we should pack everything up" Dean suggested, handing Beth her sundress.

"That's probably a good idea" Beth agreed, stretching her back before pulling her dress over her head in a single, smooth motion.

Dean helped Sam take down his tent first, carefully folding up the poles and wrapping the tent small enough to fit back into the canvas bag before repeating the process with Beth's.

Dean recognized the sound of Bobby's truck long before it pulled slowly into the camping spot.

"Hey kids, are you ready to go?" He asked cheerily.

"Yup, we're all packed up already" Sam replied, throwing his sleeping bag and tent into the box of the truck.

Dean wrapped his hand tightly around Beth's and walked with her to the truck, letting go only long enough for them to crawl into the cab.

"Hope you kids had fun" Bobby smiled before slamming his door and backing out of the camp site.

"We did" Beth giggled, squeezing Dean's hand.

They dropped Beth off at home first and waited to make sure she could get into her house before driving away.

Dean's heart dropped when they pulled into the scrapyard and saw the 1967 Chevy Impala parked in front of the house.

" _Dad's back"_ Dean realized, his heart thundering anxiously in his chest.

"Dads here!" Sam chattered excitedly before jumping out of the truck and running for the house.

"Sorry son" Bobby whispered knowingly as he climbed out of the truck.

Dean sat frozen in the cab of the old truck for a long time before finding his legs again and made his way into the house.

"Hey Dean" John murmured.

"Hey dad" Dean replied as a cold sweat broke across his body.

"You better get packed kid, we're leaving in the morning" He informed him happily.

"Sure dad" Dean nodded, walking up to his room in a numb haze.

" _What am I going to do"_ Dean thought frantically.

" _I don't have a choice, I have to go.. Dad needs me and so does Sammy"_ He realized as a rush of sadness pushed down his chest, threatening to crush him.

Dean slowly threw all of his things into the large black duffle bag he kept under his bed and zipped it up, barely aware of what he was doing.

" _I have to see her before I leave"_ He decided, glancing at the clock.

Dean tip toed down the hall to Sams room, peeking inside to make sure he was asleep before sneaking down the stairs and outside.

"Where are you going Dean?" Bobby asked gently.

"I just want to say goodbye to Beth, I'll be back before everyone wakes up, don't worry" Dean explained quickly.

"Okay, take your time son. John won't be awake for hours" Bobby assured him.

"Thanks Bobby" Dean whispered before grabbing his bike and riding away as quickly as possible.

Dean stood at the edge of Beth's yard for a long moment, trying to figure out what he was going to say to her.

Dean climbed up the large tree outside her window, sliding his way out along a long branch and tapping on the glass to get her attention.

"Dean? what are you doing up there?" Beth asked with a stunned laugh.

"I need to talk to you" Dean replied, desperately trying to keep his voice even.

"Here, come inside" Beth suggested, opening the window and moving aside for him.

"Thanks" He nodded before climbing into her bedroom.

"What's going on Dean?" Beth asked cautiously.

"My.. My dad is back and we're leaving in the morning" He blurted.

"Oh" she breathed, unable to find any other words at that moment.

"I'm so sorry Beth.. I didn't know he was back.. please don't hate me" Dean croaked, his voice cracking with emotion.

"It's okay Dean, I promise I'm not mad and I could never hate you.. ever" She replied lovingly, pulling him into a hug.

"I don't want to go.. I'm sorry" Dean sniffed, his whole body shaking against hers as they held each other.

"Shhh.. it's going to be alright" Beth assured him soothingly.

Beth held Dean tightly until he finally stopped shaking.

"I have to go.. Dad will be awake soon" Dean sighed.

"I wish you didn't have to go.. but i understand why you do" Beth replied carefully.

"Here I brought something for you" Dean told her, suddenly remembering the backpack he had on.

Opening the bag Dean pulled out a large, dark hoodie with the letters AC/DC written across the back.

"Here, I want you to have this" Dean smiled, handing her the sweater.

"Thank you.. I have something for you too" Beth replied, quickly going to her dresser and pulling out a small box.

Dean opened the box and pulled out a carefully braided, leather bracelet with a single etched wooden bead in the centre of it.

"This is beautiful, did you make it yourself?" Dean asked warmly.

"Yeah, I did" Beth grinned, pleased by his reaction.

"I love it, thank you" Dean purred, kissing her softly.

Dean sighed when he realized how late it was, knowing he needed to leave.

"I really do need to leave but I'll come back here the second we're back in town okay?" Dean told her, his heart aching wildly in his chest.

"I'll hold you to that" Beth smiled, fighting back tears and kissed him one last time before he left.

Dean struggled to bike back to the scrapyard, his heart was broken and it felt like he couldn't breath but he knew he didn't have a choice in the matter.

Pulling into the scrapyard Dean saw Bobby still sitting on the porch and John loading the impala.

"Hey kid, ready to go?" John chirped.

"Sure dad" Dean murmured, pushing back the tears and finally realising why hunters are rarely married.

" _I won't do this to myself again.. it hurts too much"_ Dean thought, pushing his feelings down and vowing never to let anyone get that close again.


	8. Chapter 8

Dean continued to train, study his dad's journals and any folklore he could get his hands on. It was easier to concentrate once Sammy started going to school full time, Bobby decided there was no way John was keeping both of them from having an education. Not while he was alive and kicking.

"Pop quiz time Dean" John chirped.

"Do your worst" He smirked, cocky.

"Werewolf, how do you kill it?" John rattled off quickly.

"That's an easy one, Silver bullet to the heart" Dean replied with a scoff.

"Apparent vengeful spirit is terrorizing a family, what do you?" He continued.

"Step one: Confirm the haunting, talk the family members, ask about cold spots, strange noises, things being moved around or thrown and any other unexplainable problems they may be experiencing and EMF readings to confirm" Dean started.

"What else" John pressed.

"Step two: Research, hit the library and town hall for any and all deaths related to the house or property and find out where said casualties are buried" He continued.

"Good, keep going" He replied, keeping the pressure on.

"Step three: Use the newly acquired information to determine who I'm dealing with, find their grave, salt and burn the bones" He replied, pleased with himself.

"Excellent" John grinned.

"Vampires, go" He continued, pacing around the small room.

"Remove the head, it's the only way to kill them but that's a trick question because no one has seen one of those for at least a decade" Dean recited, slightly confused.

"You still need to know how to kill them, you never know when they might make a come back, all it takes is one blood sucker to create a whole army" John reminded him.

"Fair enough" Dean agreed, taking a moment to stuff a fistful of fries into his mouth.

"Have you studied the folklore I gave you on Changelings yet? John asked, rolling his eyes at Dean's chipmunked cheeks.

Dean held up a single finger while he finished his mouthful of fries.

"Not entirely done with the books yet, but I've read most them already" Dean admitted.

"Alright, lets test what you've learned so far then" John smirked.

"Fine with me" Dean replied, sounding cocky even for a sixteen year old.

"True or false, Changelings are swapped for human infants shortly after birth" John started.

"False, they can also swap out kids and adults of any age group as long as it suits their needs but they usually go for younger children and feed off of their human mothers, eventually killing them" Dean recited, a glint of smart-assdom in his eyes.

"Don't get cocky kid" John warned, his devious grin matching Deans.

"How can you tell if someone is, in fact a Changeling?" John asked, glancing over the edge of the old, leather bound book he was reading.

"Mirror or any reflective surface really, will show their true form" Dean replied, unfazed.

"Good, I'm proud of you kid" John beamed, pleased with his eldest son. His hunter.

"Finally, how do you kill them?" He asked suddenly.

"Fire" Dean replied, flinching slightly.

"Very good" John grinned, ignoring Dean's reaction.

"Shtriga?" He continued the questioning, trying to catch Dean off guard.

"Consecrated iron rounds but only while it's feeding, otherwise it's immortal" Dean replied quietly.

"Sorry kid, had to ask" John assured him.

"Shape shifters?" He continued quickly, not allowing Dean to wallow.

"Silver blade or bullet to the heart, decapitation is also an option" Dean sighed, growing bored of all the questions.

"Am I boring you son?" John questioned, cocking an eyebrow.

"You know that I've studied all of this, why the questions all of a sudden?" Dean asked curiously.

"Because I needed to know that you're ready" John replied simply, an impish smile playing on his lips.

"Ready for what?" Dean questioned, tilting his head to side slightly.

"Your first solo hunt" John grinned excitedly.

"Really? But what about Sammy?" Dean asked, almost giddy.

"Sammy isn't a baby anymore.. he's also spending the weekend at Bobby's" John reassured him, grinning ear to ear.

"What are we hunting?" Dean asked, vibrating with excitement.

" _We?_ " John repeated, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well yeah, you're coming with me aren't you?" Dean replied, confused.

"No, Dean this is your hunt, that is if you think you can handle it" John clarified.

"Of course I can handle it" Dean scoffed.

"Good, glad to hear it" John grinned.

"What am I hunting?" He asked, excitement flooding through him again.

"Werewolf" John smirked, watching Dean's reaction.

"My first solo hunt and I'm going after a _Werewolf_?" Dean gasped, a grin stretching across his face as it sunk in.

"You bet and you're going to need this" John told him, tossing the car keys at him.

"You're giving me the keys to the Impala?" Dean asked stunned as he stared at the keys, nestled into the palm of his hand.

"I'm giving you the car, Dean" John told him, watching the sparks of pure joy flare in his son's eyes.

"The Impala, you're giving me the freaking Impala?" Dean almost squealed.

"Bobby found me a really nice truck and with you starting to hunt solo, you're going to need your own wheels" John explained, soaking up Dean's reaction.

"T-Thank you!" Dean shouted, unable to contain his excitement for a second longer.

"Go, take it for a test drive and we'll discuss the werewolf when you get back" John told him, dismissing him.

Dean climbed into the driver's seat, quickly pulled the seat belt over his shoulder and after picking out which cassette he wanted to listen to, pulled out of the parking lot.

Highway to Hell blared through the speakers as Dean drove down the road, careful to stay just below the speed limit so he wouldn't attract any unwanted attention.

As he cruised down the streets of the sleepy Wyoming town he couldn't help but feel liberated, free from all his responsibilities, if only for a little while.

For a short while Dean felt free, the world of monsters and murder melting further and further away with every cassette track and every mile, for the first time since his mom died Dean didn't have to worry about anything. Sammy was safe with Bobby, probably working on a history paper at that exact moment, his dad was waiting for him back at the storage locker and not fighting something that could potentially kill him and he was driving the freaking Impala. His Impala.

The sound of a ringing cellphone snapped him back to reality as he fished it out of his pocket and flipped it open, pressing it to his ear.

"Hello?" Dean spoke, flustered into the phone.

"Hey, Dean I need you back here before nightfall son" John reminded him.

"Right, sorry Dad I'll be right there" He muttered quickly before snapping the phone shut and shoving it back into his pocket.

" _Back to reality"_ Dean sighed, making a U-turn and driving quickly back to the storage locker.

Dean decided to listen to the radio on the way back to the locker, he popped the cassette out of the player and tucked it away before taking a moment to adjust the station.

The soft sound of KISS flowed through the speakers as the song Beth played, catching him off guard for a moment. Dean pulled over while the song finished, his mind swimming with the memory of the sweet young girl that he lost his virginity to, the girl that showed him that there was more to the world than death and monsters.

A few tears found their way down his cheeks, dripping onto to the sleeve of his old leather jacket, leaving small trails in the creases.

" _I wonder what she's up to now"_ Dean thought as he pulled the car back onto the highway and continued towards the storage locker.

John was waiting outside when he pulled up.

"Come, stock up on ammo and hit the road before you the miss the thing" John snapped lightly.

"Yes sir" He replied.

Dean carefully selected a revolver from their collection and a box of silver bullets to match, placing them under the front seat of the car.

"Alright, where am I headed?" Dean asked from the rolled down window of his new car.

"Lockwood" John replied bluntly.

"Lockwood? That's what, three and half hours from here right?" Dean asked, mulling the name over in his head and trying to remember if drove through it on the way to Casper.

"Right around there, you better get going son, you need to get there before that wolf takes another life" John instructed, his voice unsteady.

"I'm leaving right now, i'll call you when the job is done" Dean replied before starting the Impala again.

"Dean" John started, hesitantly.

"Yeah dad?" Dean asked, inpatient.

"Be safe out there, please" John said finally, his voice thick with concern.

"I'll be fine, you and Sammy need me too much not to be" Dean smiled his crooked, wicked smile that let his dad know he would be alright.

"Besides.. I was trained by the best" He whispered before pulling away and starting the long drive to Lockwood.

AC/DC blared through the speakers the whole way there, filling head with familaure lyrics and calming his nerves.

A sign reading "Lockwood 1" caught his attention as he neared the outskirts of town and moments later he was finding a place to park his new Baby along Old Hardin Road, this particular werewolf's hunting ground.

The sun was just starting to dip low in the sky as he parked the Impala in a well treed area, keeping it unseen from the road and loaded the revolver.

" _Soon"_ He thought, sliding the bullets into the chamber as the sun all but disappeared, allowing the moon and stars to take centre stage.

A few more hours slipped slowly by as he sat, waiting quietly for some sign that the wolf was there.

A shiver inducing howl ripped through the thick night air, making the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up on end.

" _It's here"_ Dean thought nervously, stepping out of the car and out onto the road to look.

Although he couldn't see it yet, Dean listened as another howl echoed through the night and the sound of heavy footsteps crunched towards him.

" _Where are you"_ He thought, looking around the seemingly empty stretch of road.

The footsteps grew louder and faster paced and suddenly it was on top of him, forcing him to the ground under its immense weight.

"Dammit!" Dean growled as his back met the gravel road with some force.

The beast growled, snapped its jaws at Dean's face and dug a set of claws into his chest.

BANG BANG.

The revolver went off in his hand and two silver bullets lodged themselves into the chest of the beast that was eagerly trying to end his young life. It's eyes widened in horror as the spark of life left them and it's now empty body slumped lifelessly on top of Dean, pushing him into the gravel with all its weight.

"Get off me, you mutt!" Dean groaned and used what leverage he could to shove the huge, deceptively heavy corpse off of him.

Dean shoved the creature onto it's back and fired one more shot, straight through it's heart to make sure it was dead before pouring a jug of gasoline over it, striking a match and walking away.

Climbing back into the Impala Dean pulled the cellphone from his pocket and dialed his fathers number.

"Dean? are you okay?" The somewhat frantic voice asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine dad. It's dead, burnt and I'm on my way back right now, see you in a couple hours" Dean replied robotically before hanging up and starting the drive back to Casper, completely numb to the amount of blood he was losing.

Light headedness was beginning to set in as he neared the outskirts of Casper and the exhaustion made it hard, if not for him impossible to concentrate on the road but he was too close to the motel to stop now.

Dean pulled up in front of the motel room and crawled out of the Impala, nearly falling flat on his face with his first step.

Slumping against the door, Dean fished the key out of his jeans and let himself in, losing his balance in the process and flying headlong onto the floor at the foot of John's bed.

"Dean?" John mumbled groggily as he felt for the light switch.

"Dad" Dean groaned, pushing himself against the bed to keep himself upright.

"Oh my God, what happened Dean!" John gasped, staring at the blood soaked shirt and jeans clinging to his clearly injured son.

"It got me.. with it's claws" Dean whispered softly, overwhelmed by exhaustion.

"Here, get on the bed and let me see" He instructed, hauling him off the floor and helping onto the bed.

Dean slipped in and out of consciousness as his dad went to work on him, taking the scissors to his t-shirt before cleaning and stitching up his chest.

"You lost a lot of blood Dean but you're going to be okay" John assured him, gently bandaging over the fresh stitches.

That was the last thing Dean heard before the world went black around him.

The next morning as Dean woke up, he could finally feel everything that happened the night before and it hurt. A lot.

"Woah, Woah! Don't move around so much kid you'll rip your stitches" John instructed, quickly putting his hands on Dean's shoulders and pushing him gently back down to the bed.

"Ouch! What the hell dad" Dean groaned, still not fully awake.

"You came back from the hunt a little torn up son, I stitched you up and put you to bed" John explained softly.

" _Right..Wolf..Claws..ugh"_ Dean thought disjointedly as his memory seeped back.

"How's your chest feeling, Dean?" He asked gently as he removed the bandages to make sure he didn't rip anything beneath them.

"Like a werewolf sunk its claws into it.. oh wait" Dean chuckled, regretting it immediately as the stitches pulled uncomfortably on his skin.

"Well at least it left your sense of humour in tack" John laughed, rolling his eyes at his eldest son.

A moment later, Dean could hear his cellphone singing from the pocket of his leather jacket that was swung over the back of one of the kitchen chairs.

"Damn it Dean, I said don't move. I'll get it" John snapped, pushing Dean back into the bed again.

"Hello?" John barked into the receiver.

Dean watched as Johns expression softened in an instant and knew immediately who was calling him.

"Hey Sammy" Dean chirped as his dad handed him the phone.

"Hi Dean, are you coming back to Bobby's soon?" Sam asked, sounding chipper and hopeful.

Dean looked over at his dad and gestured at his chest, wordlessly asking him when he could move. John rolled his eyes and held up two fingers, shaking his head slightly and picking his journal back up.

"Couple more days bud, Dad and I just have a few more things we need to do before we head back okay?" Dean replied quickly, suddenly finding his stitches more noticeable and rather itchy.

"Okay" Sammy sighed.

"So Sammy, how's school going? Learn anything new yet?" Dean asked, changing the subject in hopes of raising his spirits.

Sammy went on to tell Dean all about what he was studying in school, new math formulas, the wars he was reading about in History, even that they started playing football in PE but he really didn't like it or any sports for that matter.

Dean listened intently for a long time while he gushed about writing assignments, essays and the cute girl that sat three seats up from him in english class, he wasn't sure what her name was but she smelled like flowers and liked reading just about as much as he did.

" _Sounds like love to me"_ Dean chuckled to himself.

"I'm so glad you're enjoying school" Dean told him, smiling at his cellphone.

"It's pretty fun" Sam replied happily.

"I have to go Sam, do me a favour? Talk to that girl, find out what her name is and share your lunch with her or something, you won't regret it" Dean told him, remembering his first girlfriend he met when he was thirteen.

"But.. what if she doesn't like me?" Sam whispered.

"She's going to like you Sammy, you're tall, smart and that stupid face of yours is cute to most people" Dean laughed, reassuring his brother.

"Okay.. Thanks Dean" Sammy replied, his voice steady again.

"Anytime little brother, go study something, I'll see you soon" Dean told him with a grin before closing the phone and placing it on the nightstand.

"What was that about?" John asked curiously.

"Little Sammy met a girl" Dean grinned stupidly, excited for him.

"Is that so? What's she like?" John asked happily,

"Apparently smart, brunette and smells like flowers" Dean laughed.

"Sounds right, what's this girls name?" John giggled.

"Oh that's the kicker, he hasn't actually asked her yet" Dean told him, bursting out laughing even though it pulled on his stitches.

John boomed with laughter, shaking his head as he turned his attention back to the journal in his hand.

"Here, I want you take this and start filling it out" John instructed as he placed a well aged, leather journal into Dean's hands.

"A journal?" Dean questioned, turning it over in his hands and noting how soft the leather was.

"Every hunter should have one, it's important to keep track of the things you hunt" John explained simply.

"Okay, thanks dad" Dean smiled, before getting to work on his first journal entry.

Dean stared at his new journal for a long moment, turning it over in his hands, feeling the soft worn leather against his skin and taking in the smell that poured off it as the hide grew warm from his hands.

The smell filled his nostrils and reminded him of Bobby's study, filled to the bursting point with antique tomes of folklore and anything else they might need to study. The thought made him smile as he looked at the book, anxious to start writing but unsure of how to start.

" _July 13th, 1995"_ He started simply, stopping to think about how to continue.

"Having trouble getting started?" John mused, noticing the puzzled look on Dean's face.

"I just don't know where to start" Dean shrugged, chewing on his bottom lip slightly and drumming his fingers on his leg.

"Just write about your experience, what happened, how you killed it" John suggested helpfully.

"I'll try" Dean replied with a sigh, suddenly feeling worn out.

 _July 13th, 1995; Lockwood Montana._

 _Three local teenagers were found dead, hearts missing from their chests. Missing organs suggests Werewolf, this was confirmed upon further investigation and two more heartless bodies were found on the same stretch of road._

 _July 17th, 1995;_

 _Staking out Old Hardin Road, the Werewolf crept out of the woods around midnight. It was larger than expected, at least six feet tall, rust coloured fur._

 _After one hell of a fight and some minor injuries, the beast was taken down with two silver bullets to the heart, the body was salted and burnt on site._

"How do this look?" Dean asked anxiously, holding the journal out.

John took the book from his hands and quickly glanced at his first entry.

"Nice job, keeping track of the dates and locations of your hunts is very important" John told him, handing him back the journal approvingly.

"Thanks" Dean smiled, pleased with his first entry.

"You look exhausted kid" John commented, looking up over the top of the book he was reading.

"I feel worse than I look, I assure you" Dean groaned, the skin of his chest pulling awkwardly with every move.

John put his book face down on the table in front of him and after some digging, pulled a bottle of pills out of his duffle bag.

"Take these, get some rest" John ordered, placing two round, white pills in the palm of his hand and handing him a bottle of water.

"What is this?" Dean asked questioningly, examining the pills.

"They're just pain killers Dean, they won't hurt you" John laughed, amused by the suspicion in his voice.

"If you say so" Dean replied, too tired to push for more information.

Dean tossed the pills to the back of his mouth and quickly took several large gulps of water to wash them down, realizing for the first time since he woke up, exactly how thirsty he was.

"Those shouldn't take long to kick in, so get comfortable" John told him, getting up and helping his with his pillows.

"Thanks dad" Dean mumbled.

"Anytime son" John smiled warmly, pulling the blankets up and tucking Dean in for first time since he was four years old.

When Dean finally woke up, the sun was high and hot in the windows of the motel room and the digital clock on the nightstand said it was three pm.

"Glad to see you're finally awake!" John commented.

"How long was I out?" Dean groaned.

"Around eighteen hours, give or take the few times you sat up in bed and asked for pie" John smirked.

"Eightteen hours" Dean repeated, stunned.

"Yeah, maybe I should have started you out with one of those pills" John snorted.

"No kidding.. hey.. do we have pie?" Dean asked with a grin and a hunger like a grizzly bear fresh out of hibernation.


End file.
